There’s no official start to NFL draft season, but we’re declaring it unofficially open. After all, the 2024 NFL season is entering its homestretch, while the college football season is rapidly heading toward Rivalry Week, championship week and the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Over the coming weeks, intrigue will grow around the 2025 draft class, which will see an influx of defensive players and a couple quarterbacks topping the board.

With the first round set to begin roughly five months from now — April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin — plenty can change. The draft order won’t be fully set until mid-February, and the No. 1 pick is absolutely up for grabs. The final stretch of the 2024 season, along with all-star events, the combine, pro day workouts and a ton of pre-draft interviews, will ultimately determine how draft boards will be set up. But we are starting to get some clarity on this group of prospects.

We brought in our NFL draft experts — Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates — to answer 15 big questions about the class at this point in the process. Who is the No. 1 quarterback on the board, and how does this class of signal-callers compare to the historic class of 2024? Could we see a running back go early in Round 1, and which defensive positions are especially deep? And with every team in control of its first-round pick (for now), is there a franchise that might have outsized influence on how the 2025 draft could go? Let’s dive in and discuss this intriguing draft class.

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QBs | Hunter’s future | WR class | Defense
Overall impressions | Risers | Intriguing teams

Let’s talk through this quarterback class: How many passers have a Round 1 grade?

Reid: Right now, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are the only two passers with first-round grades. They have clearly separated themselves from the rest in what’s considered to be an underwhelming class of signal-callers. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Sanders is a polished pocket passer whose game centers around his excellent ball placement. And the 6-foot-2, 223-pound Ward is an electric playmaker with a shortstop-like release, though he is still inconsistent in his decision-making.

The next tier includes Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Georgia’s Carson Beck.

Which QB has the best chance to go No. 1?

Miller: Sanders. The four-year starter was a standout at Jackson State in 2021 and 2022, and he has been awesome since arriving at Colorado before the 2023 season with his father, Deion Sanders. Shedeur Sanders is tough in the pocket, has excellent field vision and shows consistent pinpoint accuracy to all levels of the field. He must speed up his process some and play more on schedule, but Sanders has proven over the past two seasons that he’s a top quarterback prospect in this class. His 73.4% completion rate is third in the country, and his 30 touchdown passes are tied for second.

Which midround sleeper quarterback will excite scouts the most in the leadup to the draft?

Kiper: How about Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke? The 6-foot-5, 223-pound Rourke didn’t have his best game Saturday against Ohio State — Indiana’s first loss of the season — but he didn’t have much of a shot, either. The Hoosiers’ offensive line couldn’t hold off the Buckeyes, leading to five sacks and pressure on 21.7% of his dropbacks.

The Ohio transfer has 43 career starts under his belt and plays with great accuracy and decision-making. Rourke throws his receivers open with anticipation and catchable balls. Plus, he has the mobility to move the chains with his feet when necessary. Rourke has 21 touchdown passes to four interceptions this season and has played well enough to get a lot of interest early on Day 3.

What are some teams that could be looking to draft QBs on Days 1 or 2?

Yates: The top of the draft is the best place to start, as we know that the fastest way to lose games and pick early is poor quarterback play. I believe the Giants, Raiders and Titans are locks to be in the QB market this offseason, with the Browns, Panthers, Jets and Saints likely to explore their options under center. The Browns, Jets and Saints have veteran passers under contract through at least 2025, making the cap ramifications of moving on from their current QBs painful, while the Panthers paid full freight a year and a half ago to acquire Bryce Young.

Teams further down the board to keep an eye on include the Rams and Seahawks. They each have a veteran QB who no longer has guaranteed money on his contract, but both teams are far from guaranteed to be drafting a quarterback early.

Travis Hunter seems to be the consensus No. 1 prospect right now. Which position will he play, and why will teams be lining up to draft him?

Kiper: Yeah, Hunter has been No. 1 on my board all season. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior shows elite ball skills, hand-eye coordination and speed — and I love his competitiveness. I have Hunter ranked as receiver right now, where he has 82 catches for 1,036 yards and 11 TDs this season. But don’t sleep on his cornerback play; he has three picks and eight pass breakups, too.

As for where Hunter will play in the pros, it might just come down to the team that drafts him. He gets the Champ Bailey comp a lot, but Hunter is a different kind of offensive player. The argument for making him a cornerback is that it’s very hard to find lockdown corners. But coaches would want the ball in Hunter’s hands as much as possible, and the route to that is at receiver. Hunter has terrific endurance (1,123 snaps this season), and I think he could play both ways in some capacity. He will likely have a primary position in the NFL but get sprinkled in on the other side of the ball for specific packages in certain looks, especially at the end of games.

The 2024 receiver class was awesome. How does 2025’s crew of pass-catchers stack up?

Miller: The 2024 draft was the best I’ve ever scouted in terms of top-end pass catcher talent, as Marvin Harrison Jr, Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers and tight end Brock Bowers were all certified stars. This upcoming class doesn’t have the same elite playmakers, though there are once again three receivers toward the top of my board. Colorado’s Hunter, Missouri’s Luther Burden III and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan are all in my top seven overall, though none would have been ranked ahead of the 2024 trio.

Tight end looks deep again, too, but top players Colston Loveland (Michigan) and Tyler Warren (Penn State) aren’t on Bowers’ level.

How high could Ashton Jeanty go, and where might he fit best?

Yates: I see Jeanty — a 5-foot-9, 215-pound running back at Boise State — as a similar prospect to Bijan Robinson, who was drafted by the Falcons with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 draft. He has 2,062 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns this season. That said, for Jeanty to go in the top eight, he would have to be picked by a team that truly believes an immediate turnaround is possible.

The most obvious team fit is the Cowboys, who have woefully underperformed this season and happen to need a running back. They are 31st in rushing at 3.7 yards per carry and 82.5 yards per game.

What is your main takeaway on the offensive line group?

Reid: This crop of linemen isn’t as good or as deep as a 2024 class, which tied a record with eight offensive tackles drafted in the first round and had 25 total linemen selected in the first three rounds. The 2025 class lacks true offensive tackles at the top of the board, as Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas), Will Campbell (LSU) and Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona) could all slide inside to guard. And even so, the interior lacks high-end talent, too. Most players are getting Day 2 or Day 3 grades. In talking to scouts, there also isn’t a consensus top center prospect, which shows a widespread difference of opinion on that position.

It took 15 picks until the first defensive player was selected in 2024. When will the first one come off the board in 2025?

Kiper: I think it’ll be the third or fourth pick, depending on how we view Hunter. I see quarterbacks going 1-2, and Hunter should be the first non-QB off the board. I have six defensive players in my top 10 (not including Hunter), and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Michigan cornerback Will Johnson could be picked right after the QBs and Hunter, depending on draft order.

The 6-foot-3, 259-pound Carter is versatile, instinctive and quick to the football, picking up eight sacks this season. And the 6-foot-2, 202-pound Johnson reads the quarterback well and has the ball skills to create takeaways (nine career interceptions).

Which defensive position is the deepest?

Yates: The edge group, especially when compared to the 2024 class. Three of my top nine prospects and five of my top 25 prospects are edge rushers — and many more will crack my eventual top 50. The three at the top for me are Penn State’s Carter (my No. 2 overall prospect), Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. (No. 7) and Georgia’s Mykel Williams (No. 8). This class is loaded and versatile, as there is every style of edge rusher available.

Which teams are most likely to zero in on defense in Round 1?

Reid: The Jets and Panthers could use a lot of help on defense. New York needs edge help, especially with former first-rounder Jermaine Johnson rupturing his Achilles earlier this season. Penn State’s Carter makes sense as an edge rusher to pair with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Carolina is in the early stages of a roster rebuild and needs to add high-end talent everywhere. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is one of the few defensive prospects in this class who has high-impact starter potential. Graham and 2020 first-rounder Derrick Brown would give the Panthers a rock solid defensive interior.

What’s the word around the NFL on this class as a whole?

Miller: To quote “Mad Men,” it’s not great, Bob! Scouts are down on this class due to the lack of elite skill at premium position groups, specifically quarterback and left tackle. One AFC college scouting director I spoke to said they have only eight players with true Round 1 grades. That number is normally closer to 15. Another NFC area scout remarked that his team would have lowest number of first-round grades he had seen in his 10-plus-year career.

But while scouts are down on the QB and OT talent, they like the assortment of running backs and edge rushers available. One scout told me he thinks there are 10 running backs in the 2025 draft who could become starters.

An NFL general manager said, “We still have to make 250-some picks. It’s our job to find good players. They’re out there.”

Name one player who could shoot up the board as a combine riser.

Kiper:Mike Green, Edge, Marshall. Green transferred to Marshall from Virginia two years ago, and his play has taken a massive leap forward this season. He leads the nation in sacks (15) and pressures (48), and he is second in tackles for loss (19.5). And I fully expect Green (6-foot-4, 248 pounds) to test well in the pre-draft process. He’s explosive with great bend and is solid at the point of attack. He can disengage and flow to the ball, and he can seal the edge against the run. Pair his production with some eye-popping numbers at the combine, and Green could go as early as the second round.

Miller:Jordan Burch, DL, Oregon. Burch is already generating buzz in scouting circles thanks to his fantastic movement and strength. One scout projected that the 6-foot-6, 295-pound Burch would run the 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range. He also has a verified 34-inch vertical jump and can squat 685 pounds — two numbers that translate very well to short-area burst and should lead to great numbers in the three-cone and short-shuttle events. It doesn’t hurt that Burch has compiled six sacks this season, too.

Reid:Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College. The Eagles’ star edge rusher could be a gem in a loaded defensive line class. Not only does Ezeiruaku have 11 sacks this season, but his 36 edge pressures are also tied for the third most in the FBS. He has been a consistent presence all season, as evidenced by his five multi-sack games. At 6-foot-2, 247 pounds, Ezeiruaku isn’t the biggest prospect, but he has enough length and burst to become a potential starter as a stand-up outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Yates:Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M. Stewart will be included in my new top 25 when it comes out later this week, and he could continue to rise. He is about as physically impressive of a player as you’ll find in this class. Stewart has a listed weight of 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, but he moves much easier than those measurements suggest. He is explosive, incredibly powerful, long and a great accelerator. He’s a work in progress, but Stewart has the profile of a potential first-rounder. He’ll crush the combine.

You get to call dibs on a prospect in this class: Who’s your guy?

Kiper:Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas. Barron does everything and reminds me of how we talked about Cooper DeJean in the leadup to the 2024 draft. Barron can play outside corner, slot corner, safety over the top and even linebacker at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds. And he has accumulated 38 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass breakups this season. Barron is instinctive with plus-level ball skills, tackles well, can match in coverage and knows how to time his blitz when called upon. Simply put, I’d want this player on my team. He’s inching closer to my top 25, and right now he’s at least a top-40 guy.

Miller:Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri. Burden is the classic case of over-evaluation. Too many people are focusing on his stats (60 catches for 665 yards and six TDs) and not his ability. Wide receiver is the main position where the quarterback and scheme directly affect production, and that has happened to Burden this season. Even so, his speed and power off the line of scrimmage and through his route tree haven’t changed. Burden (5-foot-11, 208 pounds) will be a much better pro player than he is a college performer once he’s paired with a more capable quarterback. I have him sixth overall on my board.

Reid:Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama. Linebacker isn’t a strong position in this class, but Campbell stands out as a bright spot, ranked 22nd overall on my board. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, he’s a versatile defender with excellent range. Campbell can play in the middle or as a weakside linebacker, as he has the speed to carry in pass coverage and is also able to perform as a pass rusher off the edge. His take-on strength as a run defender in the box needs to improve, but Campbell has shown improvement in his discipline against the run this season, too. He has 87 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 4 pass breakups.

Yates:Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas. This isn’t the best left tackle class, but Banks is the guy at the position. He has the quickness to match speedy edge rushers and the instincts to react to defensive stunts. He’s fundamentally sound in the running game while also having elite mobility in space. With 37 career starts, Banks has the goods to be a Day 1 starting left tackle and develop into a quality NFL starter in time. He’s at No. 6 overall in my rankings.

Which NFL team could help dictate how the draft plays out?

Miller:Las Vegas Raiders. With a projected top-five first-round selection and two third-round choices — including a conditional one from the Jets as part of the Davante Adams trade — the Raiders come into this draft with enough capital to move up the board or add a healthy collection of players. They have 10 projected picks (four currently projected in the top 75), so I think they’re the team to watch for a trade up to pick a quarterback.

Reid:New England Patriots. The promise shown by quarterback Drake Maye this season allows them flexibility with a pick that could land inside the top five. Teams looking to trade up for a QB or defensive talent might be able to work with the Patriots. And with five selections in the first four rounds and a roster with needs across the board, GM Eliot Wolf could trade down in the first round and stockpile even more picks.

Yates:Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars are barreling toward a top-five pick and entered Week 12 in position to pick No. 1 for the third time since 2021. With Trevor Lawrence a year away from the beginning of his five-year extension, Jacksonville will not be in the quarterback market, making it an obvious trade-down candidate, contingent on price and the desire of other teams to trade up. The Jaguars will be a fascinating team to watch.

Kiper: All good choices, but I’m going with … nobody! No franchise has multiple first-rounders in 2025, so I’m not sure there’s any team that has much control. With only two top-10 quarterbacks in the class (Sanders and Ward), there won’t be as much jockeying. Sure, there would likely be a trade-out situation if the Jags or Pats land the top pick, but they would likely need future first-round picks or Day 2 selections involved to move down, so the ability to manipulate the board is limited. I’m just not sure any team has that much power right now.